Who here owns a Fiesta ST?

ceaton88 said:
Puma lol.

I'm interested to know what this mystery purchase is?
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Puma was a cracking car and I had it for years, loved it and as you can imagine a Fiesta ST was its natural successor!

I bought a yellow Abarth 595 so maybe you can see why I found the Fiesta a bit dull if not the better drive.
 
Shimmyhill said:
Puma was a cracking car and I had it for years, loved it and as you can imagine a Fiesta ST was its natural successor!

I bought a yellow Abarth 595 so maybe you can see why I found the Fiesta a bit dull if not the better drive.
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I don't see how any car can make the ST seem dull to be honest. I did my homework for months before buying it and it's pretty unanimous that the ST is the most fun you can have under £20k.

Each to their own though, if you prefer the Abarth then that's up to you :).
 
Well, I swapped mine for a gt86 after a couple of years. Which is more fun TBH, but in a different way :D

Won't fit a medium sized Christmas tree in the back though.
 
Shimmyhill said:
Puma was a cracking car and I had it for years, loved it and as you can imagine a Fiesta ST was its natural successor!

I bought a yellow Abarth 595 so maybe you can see why I found the Fiesta a bit dull if not the better drive.
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Wrote a post a couple years back about my thoughts on the Abarth;

I can possibly give you a less biased answer than most. I've driven extensively a 160ps 595 Competizione. The Abarth to me is a toy, it's small, it's fun but when you want something a bit more refined the ST is just a better car.

  • The ride is more planted in the ST when pressing on and instills more confidence. The Abarth seems a bit squirly on the rear and very much seems nose heavy while the rear is lofty
  • Unless I'm misunderstood, why is the electronic LSD off by default on the Abarth?
  • The 6th gear is a god send in the ST
  • The full beam light in the Abarth is too bright. Not the Xenons themselves, the light in the dash cluster...it blinds you!
  • The rear view mirror is in the total wrong place and obscures view when looking left. May be different if you're a midget.
  • I don't fit and find it hard to turn the wheel without hitting my knees. It's flat bottomed so fit when going straight but turning into spaces I have to move my knees. Heel and toe is ok.
  • Noise of the Abarth is a bit brash once the novelty has worn off. Look at me in my small angry car, it's cool right? It's everything at low revs and it tapers off up top albeit a few pops from 3rd to 4th. This is the Monza exhaust.
  • Alcantara front Seats in the Abarth while lovely are uncomfortable for long drives. Very hard and no lumber and when coming from an ST they lack bolster. Rear bench is cheap.
  • Dashboard and interior quality is quite frankly lacking for a car with a substantial premium
  • Xenons on the Abarth are lovely but why not have the same colour side lights? They're a nightmare to change also...
  • The indicator stalk is awful. It is so analog and putting it on while going around a roundabout it won't let you and you have to almost break it or wait until your off the roundabout to be able to get it on.
  • iPhone cables get stuck in the USB port...
  • Pointless "glovebox"
  • Abarth has poor stereo if you don't get the optional under seat subwoofer. Door speakers are terrible.
  • ST top end is much better. Abarth dies off.
While this list may be a bit negative towards the Abarth.They're a fun car and feel fast but I just don't think I could live with one. Whenever I drive it for a while and go back to my ST MR230 it feels like a luxo barge in comparison and you really notice what is better in the ST once it's gone. So much more comfortable, nicer seating position, better stereo and is faster. I have driven a previous 134bhp Abarth with the sub under the seat which was nice however. What you do get with the Abarth is a head turner. The ST however is a better all round car.
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Logsi said:
Wrote a post a couple years back about my thoughts on the Abarth;
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I agree on most of that, mine is newer and not a Comp so comfier seats (assuming yours had Sabelt seats) and better dash/stereo thingie and even has a cover on the glovebox :o

I agree that as an out and out drivers car the ST is better but the Abarth is more of an event for me and a nicer place to sit (I really disliked the dash and console on the ST)

The Abarth has character were the ST is a great precision tool but if I hadn’t been bombing about in my wife’s 500 I would have gone for an ST over the Clio RS without testing a 595 but I pretty much knew as soon as I pulled away in the 595 I was buying one - in James May style it gave me the fizz!
 
Shimmyhill said:
I agree on most of that, mine is newer and not a Comp so comfier seats (assuming yours had Sabelt seats) and better dash/stereo thingie and even has a cover on the glovebox :o

I agree that as an out and out drivers car the ST is better but the Abarth is more of an event for me and a nicer place to sit (I really disliked the dash and console on the ST)

The Abarth has character were the ST is a great precision tool but if I hadn’t been bombing about in my wife’s 500 I would have gone for an ST over the Clio RS without testing a 595 but I pretty much knew as soon as I pulled away in the 595 I was buying one - in James May style it gave me the fizz!
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It was a relatives car that I have access to. Not sure I could warrant the expense of one myself if I'm honest. The seats are indeed the Sabelt ones! Very nice looking also. I guess there have been some improvements with the infotainment system?

The Abarth does indeed have character and does turn more heads due to the juxtaposition of noise and visual aesthetic of the car. I did feel once that novelty wore off I was stuck in a cramped car that wasn't very comfortable. The 595 didn't feel that fast either but maybe the newer 180bhp version might have a better top end.
 
i had a mk5 zetec S before which i had purchased off a mate and being in to his cars and a mechanic once the 1.6 engine failed, he fitted a standard 125hp 1.7 puma engine, he improved all the handling etc anyways, but he never got round to fitting the puma gear he also obtained, so still have the 1.6 box when i had it, was great fun, managed to hold off civic type R that tried to overtake on a merging road, was crap on the motorway though, put you foot down and standard zs was able to pass you and carry on(no racing, they were just going flat out lol), had i realised how much it was going to cost to run and insure id have probably got an ST, though ended up buying a car faster than an ST anyways.

the new ones are cool and i like that they have a 5dr option unlike the ZS version for some reason.
 
Jester* said:
I miss my mk5 zs. I'd have a puma one in a heartbeat if there were any well loved ones still around.
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i found it a nightmare to insure, i was young and think i had it for less than a year or least no more than that as i needed more practicality for a 2nd child on the way, so i did a little bs to make it legal enough for my time, declared everything but the engine as they wanted 10k just for that alone :eek:, i didnt know any better at the time and my mate offered it me for a good mates rate as he upgraded to a wrx estate at that time, but i know not to bother with that again, i focus on standard fast cars now when affordable and family priorities are not required.

but was great fun, even with the standard 1.6 those were fun cars, for awhile now have been wanting a bog standard one for a bit of fun as you can get them from £500, but nowhere to store a spare car meh and for these mk6 ST models, too much and couldnt have as a 2nd car, but when i had a mk6 1.25 i did love that range/shape of fiesta.
 
I like the Abarth 500/595 and nearly bought one. Anyway.

Just got back from Donnington Park and was very impressed with the new shape ST and ST-Line ecoboost cars.

Handled and went very well (ecoboost running 170bhp pumaspeed kit I think). They were a lot quicker than the older STs which were there as well.
 
Berger said:
Just got back from Donnington Park and was very impressed with the new shape ST and ST-Line ecoboost cars.

Handled and went very well (ecoboost running 170bhp pumaspeed kit I think). They were a lot quicker than the older STs which were there as well.
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Thanks Nasher great input.
 
Berger said:
I like the Abarth 500/595 and nearly bought one. Anyway.

Just got back from Donnington Park and was very impressed with the new shape ST and ST-Line ecoboost cars.

Handled and went very well (ecoboost running 170bhp pumaspeed kit I think). They were a lot quicker than the older STs which were there as well.
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Shame people would still think you drove a B Max
 
Not fussed about the rear of the new ST. If it drives as well as the current ST, has the improved ride, speed etc. that Ford are implying, it's going to be a good car to drive.

Leave it to those who sit behind you to worry about the rear :D
 
I hate the new Fiesta everytime I see one I can’t tell if it’s a Peugeot 308, b/c max, Corsa etc till I get right behind it. It’s such a lazy design by Ford it just blends in with all the other cars of its class. The mk7 was such a cracking design when that came out and it’s hard to believe that shape was launched 10 yrs ago now. It still looks fresher than the new shape imo.
It looks like the new Focus is going to end up looking the same at the back judging by leaked pics :(
 
I don't think it's that bad. It's quite smart looking in ST-Line guise.

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Also the ST is shaping up nicely with the LED headlights.

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Will probably wait for the inevitable facelift...
 
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Guess why it looks good, you've only posted pictures of the front!! It's still not as nice as the mk7 although I can't put my finger on why. The ST wheels are way too shouty though.
 
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